Knit from a heavy DK/light worsted weight yarn, this shawl combines a simple striped stockinette panel, an easy-to-work slip-stitch tweed pattern and a simple ruffled edging. The original shawl was knit using sky blue (main color - 250 yards) and natural brown (contrast color - 275 yards) yak/cormo yarn from Bijou Basin. A possible substitute yarn would be Cascade 220, but be sure to swatch first to determine that your gauge is appropriate.

This shawl is appropriate for a beginner knitter, and contains both written instructions and an easy 4-row chart for the slip stitch pattern. Stitch counts are given at the end of each major section to help keep track of the pattern changes.

The inspiration for this shawl came from the memoir’s of Elinore Pruitt Stewart, “Letters of Woman Homesteader”. She wrote her autobiographical notes about her life in the west after moving to her second husband’s ranch in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. I wanted a shawl with a combination of practicality and warmth with a little feminine frill at the hem.

A huge thank-you to my stellar and stalwart test knitter, who went above and the call of duty to wrestle the maths into submission for me. :)